Laois arrests in worldwide Interpol policing 'crackdown' on West African organised crime gangs

Arrests have been made in Laois as part of a global policing operation involving Laois Gardaí and described by Interpol as "a crackdown on West African organized crime".

INTERPOL says the operation saw bank accounts frozen, suspects arrested, and financial investigations triggered worldwide into gangs one of the most notorious of which is called Black Axe.

Gardaí said in a statement that it worked with INTERPOL and Law Enforcement Agencies across 21 countries around the world carried out enforcement activity under Operation Jackal called Operation Skein in Ireland.

Led by the Garda National Economic Crime Bureau (GNECB), under Operation SKEIN, in Ireland, Gardaí said that due to the volume of arrests/ detentions/ charges in Ireland, the period of action commenced during the 1st Quarter 2023 and culminated in intensified activity during April/ May 2023.

A Garda statement said there were three facets to the Ireland plan:

• Conduct searches for evidence;
• Arrest, detain and question suspects
• Arrest and charge suspects where directions have been received from the DPP. 

Due to the volume of reports, cases, suspects, GNECB submit investigative packages to local districts for suspects to be arrested and investigated locally. The searches and detentions were co-ordinated by the GNECB and included assistance from local Garda units across the country.

The arrests for charging were conducted by GNECB  and local Gardaí in counties including Dublin, Meath, Kildare, Limerick, Kerry, Laois, Longford, Cork.

Detective Superintendent Michael Cryan, Garda National Economic Crime Bureau highlighted some of the reasons for the arrests in Laois and other counties..

"The 34 persons arrested and charged as part of this phase of Operation SKEIN were involved in money laundering, these persons were facilitating the criminal activities of organised crime groups, by allowing their bank accounts to be used to move criminally gained money. 

"They also facilitated and contributed to the theft of money from other individuals and companies. This is a crime.  These persons face a criminal conviction and the long-term impacts of such a conviction.”

Supt Cryan further appealed to the public to be on alert for scams," he said.

"Do not let any other person have access to or use your account to transfer money. If you are approached on social media or other platform, with a promise of ‘easy money’, beware, your bank account is your information and your responsibility. If you believe your account has been compromised in some way, contact your financial institution and An Garda Síochána,” he said.

Gardaí outlined the extent of the operation:

• 3 premises searched in Dublin, Wicklow and Longford
• 9 persons arrested and detained under Organised Crime legislation
• 4 Persons arrested and detained for money laundering offences
• 33 persons arrested and charged for money laundering
• 1 person arrested and charged with gangland offences and money laundering
• 9 incidents of stolen money recovered from foreign bank accounts
• Over €400,000 of stolen monies recovered for Irish companies.

Examples of cases where money was recovered from Business Email Compromise (BEC) fraud in Ireland include:

• Complaint by company that over €98,000 was stolen in a BEC fraud and transferred to a bank a/c in Portugal - working with the financial institution, the payment was cancelled and all the money was recovered.
• Over €149,000 stolen in a BEC from a victim buying an apartment in Spain. Money was laundered through an a/c in Spain. Working with the financial institution GNECB was able to recover nearly €76,000 laundered through a secondary a/c in Spain.
• Over €95,000 stolen in a BEC in USA in early April 2023 and laundered through an a/c in Ireland. Working with the financial institution, GNECB was able to freeze and recover over €91,000.

Gardaí say that in seven cases involving Irish companies, with over €475,000 cash stolen, over €400,000 was recovered.

Garda Assistant Commissioner for policing organised and serious crime Tony Kelly.

"Operation JACKAL continues to demonstrate our commitment to work internationally, engaging with Law Enforcement partners, such as INTERPOL, in disrupting the activities of Transnational Organised Crime Groups.  Operation JACKAL is a direct response to investigations initiated by the Garda National Economic Crime Bureau (GNECB), once again highlighting the internationally recognised expertise and professionalism of the members of An Garda Síochána, particularly those attached to GNECB,” he said.

It is the assessment of GNECB/ INTERPOL that this Criminal Organisation is the Black AXE, a Criminal Organisation formed in West Africa in the mid-1970s and which is now operating worldwide.

This investigation began with a request for assistance from an EU country, via EUROPOL in early 2020.  €1.1 million was stolen in a BEC fraud and laundered through Asia.   The fake emails originated from Ireland. Electronic devices seized during this investigation, analysed in co-operation with International Law Enforcement indicated for the first time that this Criminal Organisation was operating from Ireland and not just laundering through Ireland.  

To date the following Garda investigative and enforcement activity has taken place, nationwide,

• 84 persons arrested under organised crime legislation
• 327 persons arrested for money laundering offences
• 102 Arrests by GNECB (of the above)
• 204 persons charged to date
• 22 Juveniles admitted to the Juvenile Diversion Programme

The GNECB said it continues to work with financial institutions to put new systems in place for the reporting of money laundering and money mules. The Gardaí say the co-operation of financial institutions has been "second to none" and the success of this operation could not have been achieved without this support.

The Irish operation arrest were highlighted by Interpol which also said that in five criminal cases involving Irish companies, €225,655 was recovered through Operation Jackal beyond Irish borders.

"It became apparent early in the investigation that international cooperation and the use of INTERPOL’s analytical and coordination capabilities was essential to the investigation, and remains a pivotal element to the success to date and the ongoing investigation into this group,” said Garda Assistant Commissioner Kelly in an interpol press release.

Interpol said further arrests and prosecutions are foreseen across the world as intelligence continues to come in and investigations unfold.

Black Axe, and an increasing number of other West African organized crime syndicates, is a violent mafia-style gang renowned for cyber-enabled financial fraud, in particular business email compromise schemes, romance scams, inheritance scams, credit card fraud, tax fraud, advance payment scams and money laundering.